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Chapter: What?ME?
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«Log Book Entry: 20» «Year:1509~ Mid-July»
» It has been one and a half years since I came to Skypiea, and I am two and a half years old. Turns out, this is the year 1509, which means I was born in 1507. What the heck! I am 2 yrs younger than Luffy and the same age as Chopper. Anyway, I do not look like a two-year-old, so no one could guess my actual age.
» For the past year, I trained hard and successfully learned to control my claws & teeth. Now I can retract and extend them with ease. Though, I've grown fond of wearing a mask made from my baby clothes that covers the lower half of my face.
» I've also revisited an old skill - Parkour. It's great for mobility and has saved my skin a few times in my previous life. Plus, it's a good way to keep fit without overdoing it in this kid-sized body. I've honed my Parkour skills by playing pranks and escaping from those who've earned a spot on 'The List.' At least my pre-rebirth knowledge hasn't faded.
» During this training, I discovered an important detail about my memory loss. It tends to stay away when I'm on an adrenaline high. I'm not entirely sure about it yet, so more experimentation is in order. However, it does seem to strike more when I'm relaxed.
» I also have begun swimming in the sea as training, and also to increase my food by fishing. It was difficult the first time I entered the white sea due to the low density of water, but I quickly got used to it. I also swam to the Upper Yard many times but did not stay there long.
» The war between Skypieans and Shandians is still going on. And I don't know why the Skypieans are fighting. They are clearly fighting for Earth in the Upper Yard, but I doubt there's much fertile soil up there to cultivate food. So they are wasting time, money, and life for nothing.
» Let's worry about it later. I also-
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'*sigh*, I'll read it afterward,' I turn off the watch and slip it back onto my wrist. It's become a habit to read the Log Book when boredom strikes.
I glanced around at the people gathering here - children, parents, the elderly, white berets, and more. They seemed to be waiting for Gan Fall, whom I've probably met but forgotten.
"Why am I even here? If they want to enjoy a festival, why drag me into it?" I grumbled, observing the crowd.
"Today, we need to get to the bottom of this," someone suddenly shouted in anger. It became clear that they hadn't gathered for a festival.
"I can't take this anymore. We're already at war, and now we have to deal with this too," another person complained.
"Yeah, we won't budge until God provides a proper solution," a woman chimed in.
As the crowd grew restless, God Gan Fall and his entourage made their way over. Gan Fall took a seat, surveying the crowd. I felt his gaze linger on me for a moment before he sighed in realization.
Confused by his actions, I wondered, "What did he just figure out?" I stared at him.
"HESO!" everyone greeted Gan Fall, snapping me out of my thoughts.
"Heso!" he replied, looking weary. "So, why have you all gathered here? What's this trial about?" he asked, smiling wryly. 'The day which I hoped won't arrive is finally here.' he lamented, looking at me again.
The crowd fell into silence, exchanging uncertain glances as they waited for someone to speak up. Many eyes suddenly turned in my direction.
'Why the silence when he's asking a question? And why the heck are they all looking at me? I don't even know what the case is,' I scoffed at the people staring at me.
'Come on! Quick, I have many things to do.' I grumbled, tapping my foot impatiently.
"Well, he's the reason we're having this trial," someone finally pointed at me, and everyone else nodded in agreement.
"What? Me?" I exclaimed in alarm. "What did I do? I don't remember any of you," I asked, and there was a collective sigh of annoyance.
"How can you remember? You don't remember anything," many of them shouted.
"I remember this guy, though. I think he's a doctor," I pointed doubtfully at one person, "and her, she gives me food," I pointed at the woman surrounded by kids.
My attention then shifted to three kids among the group. "Oh, and these guys, I remember them - Tom, Dick, and Harry. Pretty lame names by the way," I waved at them cheerfully. 'That's not our name!' they shouted back, which I ignored.
"And I don't need to remember every Tom, Dick, and Harry I come across," I snapped at the person who accused me. Then, turned to the three kids. "Not you guys," I reassured them. 'Hey! Are you listening to us?' they demanded.
"So what did I do? Tell me about it from the start," I questioned the people around, ignoring the three kids.
"God, he's such a pain. Do something," one person shouted at Gan Fall, and they all began complaining about something I couldn't recall doing.
"Okay, everyone, calm down," Gan Fall attempted to restore order. "Let's not rush this. I'll listen to everyone's complaints," he assured them, looking wary.
"Matron, how has he been at the orphanage? Is he causing any problems?" Gan Fall inquired, turning to the food lady.
"I can't say for sure if he's a problem or not," she sighed indecisively. "Sometimes he's fine, but other times..."
"He has a massive appetite, and the orphanage's food isn't enough for him," she expressed, her face reflecting the dire situation at the orphanage.
"As a result, he started fishing in the sea and asked me to cook the fish he caught," she explained, clearly troubled about allowing a child to work at such a young age.
"He also shares the remaining fish with the others, which has helped alleviate some food issues at the orphanage," the matron noted, her expression easing slightly.
"Then, out of the blue, he started pranking some of the kids," she said with a slight frown.
"At first, it was harmless stuff like scaring them by screaming from behind or tying a tail behind them, etc.," she revealed, prompting murmurs from the crowd.
"I didn't pay it much mind initially, thinking he was venting his frustration because they called him names," she admitted, revealing the cause. This made Gan Fall raise an eyebrow.
"But one day, I think those kids decided to get back at him," she said, her tone changing to a bitter one.
She suddenly paled. "I don't know what they did to him, but since then, it's been a nightmare for them and for me," she stammered.
"Their clothes would vanish while they were bathing, bugs would crawl into their beds and shoes, and even reptiles like lizards and small snakes would end up in their cabins," she shivered as she recalled it.
"Sometimes, he'd apologize if things went too far and make peace by telling stories," she said, calming down.
"He'd be well-behaved for a few days, but then I found out he started pranking outside the orphanage," she continued, her tone growing more worried. "And for the past two weeks..."
"Wait, you can fill us in on the rest later," someone interrupted. Irritated, I shot a glare in their direction.
"God, did you know what he did to our kids?" the person pointed at the kids standing with their parents. 'Hmm, he looks like the leader of the parents,' I guessed.
"One day, the kids all gathered and asked him, 'What are you?'" he began, pointing at me.
'Isn't that a weird question for kids to ask?' I raised an eyebrow.
"Instead of answering, he asked them, 'What are you?'" the parent continued. "The kids were confused, so he told them he'd explain."
Then he pointed at the antenna-shaped hair on his head and continued, "He asked them 'what is this?'. They replied 'It's hair.' Then, he denied their answer of 'hair' and claimed it was an antenna," he explained, getting angrier by the second. "He went on to lecture them about bugs like cockroaches, ants, etc., and how they use antennas, turning it into a long lecture about insects." He took a deep breath.
"By the end of it, he had somehow convinced them that they were descendants of bugs, and the reason everyone styled their hair this way was to pay tribute to their insect ancestors," he bellowed, drawing amused chuckles from the crowd, including Gan Fall.
"Hahaha, they must be pretty gullible to fall for that," I laughed uncontrollably, rolling on the floor. "Man, I wish I remembered that. It's so hilarious!" I gloated, wiping tears from my eyes.
"Shut up! You're the reason this happened in the first place," the parents shouted in unison.
"Then he gave them some bugs and taught them how to raise them," the parent continued. "He convinced them that if they satisfied the bugs, they'd eventually be taught the 'cool way' of speaking using antennas and gain superpowers," he panted, furious.
"It took us a lot of effort to convince them it was all a lie. Some kids are still adamant about keeping the bugs and have grown attached to them," another parent added, pointing at kids holding boxes.
"Oh, that's why I saw them with bugs. I thought it was some kind of kids' custom to raise insects," I punched my palm in enlightenment.
"My bad, sorry for thinking wrongly," I apologized to them sincerely.
"You're the one who started it all in the first place!" the parents shouted.
"I'm going to go deaf at this rate," I complained, inserting the earbuds that came with my watch. They were small and nearly invisible when worn.
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